It's been nearly two years since author Salman Rushdie, known for his 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses," was stabbed multiple times at the Amphitheater on the historic grounds of Chautauqua Institution in Western New York.

Rushdie details that experience and more in his new book "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," released this week.

In the book, Rushdie penned a detailed and somewhat graphic account of the events leading up to, during and after the attack.

The book opens on August 12, 2022. Rushdie, at Chautauqua ironically to lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, but never got to give that talk. 

He writes how he can still see the moment prior when he spotted a man out of the corner of his eye running toward him on stage, though he never saw a knife, adding: "I watch myself coming to my feet and turning toward him. I raise my hand in self-defense. He plunges the knife into it. After that there were many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere. I feel my legs give way and I fall."

The incident took 27 seconds.

In the book, Rushdie never refers to the suspect by name, only referring to him as "A" for assailant or would-be assassin.

The suspect, Hadi Matar, stands accused of attempted murder and aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

Rushdie writes of his long recovery in a Pennsylvania hospital, surrounded by friends and family, before being transferred to New York City for rehab and eventually home.  

He has lost sight in his right eye, suffered liver damage and had a piece of his small intestine removed.

Rushie also writes about him and his wife returning to the area late last year.

He says he went to the county jail and stood outside the facility where "A" is being held.  

He also went back to the Institution and walked on the stage, to show his wife where it all took place, writing: "I felt, I confess, just a little bit triumphant as I stood there."

There he stood along side Institution President Michael Hill, who described the emotional and healing moment.

"Simply to be able to stand in front of him, see that he was OK and to be able to express some fairly intimate reflections on how much we had been praying for him and thinking about him,” said Hill. “And how intertwined his experience was now with ours."

The book is the reason why the Matar trial has been delayed. It was supposed to start the beginning of January but now jury selection is set to begin Sept. 16 to give the defense time to review it. Matar’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment. 

Rushdie dedicated the book to the men and women who saved his life.